Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I don't think she is related to our family but the grave is in the cemetery where my grandparents Edgar and Fay Kelley are buried. It is very unusual, on top it looks like books covered by a blanket. Clara was a very young woman when she died.

My mother-in-law made a memory book. Nothing fancy just a hard back journal. She didn't have a lot of entries but it was special. My sister-in-law found the memory book after her mother passed away. She gave the book to my husband because a lot of the stories were about our kids.There were stories, inspirational quotes, Bible verses, books she liked. It meant so much to Paul that his sister gave him the book. I can't put into words how much the book means to us.

She took the time to record these sweet stories of her grand kids. Some of the stories we had forgotten about until we read the book. We are thankful the book wasn't thrown out. I'm sure our kids will enjoy the book even more in the future.

Memories and stories are an important part of our genealogy. I feel like my kids already know how important the memories are. Aunt Betty died Jan. 2008, she was the last of my dad's siblings. When my then 14 year old son heard of Aunt Betty's death he said "All her stories are gone. All the things she knew that no one else knows." I told him it's important for him and his sister to help remember the stories Aunt Betty told us. I thought it was amazing for a 14 year old boy to think of the stories.Sometimes kids have a look of being bored out of their mind when an older person is talking but really they have enjoyed learning about their family. I guess the look is just part of being a teen.

When I first started checking out genealogy blogs somehow the ones I found were no longer being used. Discouraged and confused about what to do, I started my blog any way. About a month after I started, I found other genealogy blogs! What an exciting day. There were others out there doing genealogy blogs and boy were they good! I have been reading other blogs and learning how to make my blog better.

I'm glad Cindy at http://genealogybycindy.blogspot.com/ gave me the Kreativ Blogger Award. Not because I feel like I deserve it but because it has been such a wonderful learning experience. I went to Cindy's blog and checked out the blogs she gave the award to. Then I went back to the people who I gave the award to and checked out the blogs they awarded. I found such a variety of blogs, not all were genealogy. I don't have enough time to read all the cool blogs that I've discoved through this Kreativ Blogger Award. Thanks again

Friday, February 20, 2009

WOW! When I look around and read other blogs I realize how much I have to learn. I'm sure there are others who deserve this more. There are so many wonderful blogs out there with creative and helpful information.

It's hard to pick. Some I'm linked to others I've just saved in my favorites file but I have enjoyed reading them all.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

I've enjoyed doing the series. Going from my great great grandparents Jacob and Annabelle Ziegler, great grandparents Will and Sallie Ziegler and grandparents John and Hattie Ziegler (my mom's mother and father) and finally to the home I grew up in has been fun. Pictures and stories about my ancestors to go along with the pictures of the homes. Now I must get busy and find more pictures of other branches. I'm not as lucky in the other branches, I only have a few pictures of their homes.

John and Hattie Ziegler on their 50th Wedding Anniversary. John (PaPa) was easy going, never got in a rush, never had a lot to say. I just realized this describes my daughter!

He had a stroke and had to walk with a walker for years. Most of my memories of him are of him with the walker. He was extremely hard of hearing and so was Granny. It was funny at times watching them try to talk to each other.

He loved to watch baseball on TV, back then you didn't get to see all of the games. I guess once or twice a week. If baseball was on then PaPa was watching. He knew the players and kept up with his team, the Braves, in the newspaper.

I remember he would pinch you when you went through the room, not being mean just his way of playing with the grand kids. It was a game to see if you could get through without him getting you.

Granny was a fabulous cook, good country cooking. I loved to cook with her. She would find new recipes for us to try each week. When we would finish the entire kitchen would be a mess! She would be tired by the time we finished and would say you can clean up. She made biscuits the day before she died. She couldn't stand long (knee problems) so she sat on a stool and cooked. In fact she had two, one by the stove and one by the sink.

I remember Granny had a small wood burning stove that you could cook on. She had an electric stove she just got it for fun. In the winter she would cook on this stove, plus help heat the house.

They always took it down in the summer to have more room in the kitchen. It was stored in the garage. One summer day PaPa put the car in the garage and drove right into the stove! This was around the time he stopped driving.

This is the house that my grandparents, John and Hattie Ziegler lived in at the time of their death.

Granny died March 18,1981 and PaPa died Nov. 14, 1981. They were married April 2, 1916 and would have had their 65 anniversary a couple of weeks after Granny died. We were planning to have a little get together for them. My cousin and I had planned to do some painting in the house for her, instead we were at her funeral. It was a very sad time. Granny was the BEST grandmother EVER! I grew up just across the driveway and was attached to her. She was like a best friend.

They lived several places in their almost 65 years together. I couldn't find an early picture of this house. They moved to this property sometime in the 1930's. There were two houses on the property and they lived in one and rented the other out. From the stories I've heard they lived in one then moved to the other because they could get more rent for the other house since it was larger. They moved from house to house several times. The yellow house is the house I grew up in. My grandparents moved into the green house when my mom and dad married and moved into the other house.

These pictures were made in Oct. 1989 just a few days before they were torn down. Now this area is hotels, restaurants and parking lots. All of the houses on my old street are gone. It was sad to see them torn down but I was happy to see my parents move into a newer house. Plus they moved closer to my brother and me. Progress is difficult when it touches your family.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

I've decided to give up on getting snow here. We have had some beautiful spring like days recently. It is not impossible that we will get some but it isn't looking like snowy weather.So out with the Snow background and on to something new.

Recently the news has covered the California mom of OCTUPLETS! and a total of 14 children. I don't even want to talk about all the issues involved with this case. The thought of that many kids brings to mind the large families our ancestors had. If you've done much genealogy research you have found one or two of these families in your own family tree.

I've been blessed that a wonderful lady and her husband traveled gathering information and published a book in 1984 on the Joel Kelley family. Dad bought one and then bought one for me because of my interest in the family. This book makes it easy to give you the following information.My great grandparents Hiram and Nancy Kelley had 10 children. Three children died as small children.

Minnie 9

Carrie 5

Lou 11

Edgar 6

William 0

Jesse 6

Ora 6

Esca 3

Nancy 0

Arch 0

Total 46 grandchildren

Six of these died as small children. Can you imagine that many children and that many grand children!

Dad was always introducing us to cousins. It always seemed unreal that he could have that many cousins. I love to read about people in the book and remember him talking about his cousins. I have a total of 9 cousins on both sides of my family.

My grandmother raised 6 kids during the depression by herself. Her husband died and she had 6 children age 13 to 2 months. I don't know how she did it! I admire her. She loved her children and they all loved her.

None of this is to say I approve or disapprove of the woman in California it just made me think of the large families and how they managed.

I really liked TERRY SNYDER's post for this morning. I think she passed the vat of crabbinesson to me. Terry said "Life doesn't always go the way you want it to go." I agree. Nothing has gone the way I wanted it to this morning.I went out at 7:05 this morning to take my kids to school. They just barely make it to school on a day with no problems (teens just don't do well with early mornings). They have to be at school at 7:15, good thing we aren't that far away. We pulled on to the road and my son said WE HAVE A FLAT! We pulled back into the driveway and yes we have a flat! Got the neighbor to take them and pick them up this afternoon. I know I should be independent and go change the tire myself.I will admit, the van would probably fall on me! That is just one thing I can't do. So I am going to wait till this afternoon and let my son change it. Hope the spare is good! This would have to be the week my husband is out of town working!I hope this is not the new tire. We had to replace one a few months ago, we picked up something and the tire could not be fixed.Life doesn't always go the way you want it to go! I really like that!Alright I have to say that I'm upset that all of my plans for the day have to be changed. But I am trying to remember something I've read " You are where GOD wants you to be!" I'm trying to make the best of the rest of the day and as Terry said not dwell in the vat of crabbiness too long.Have a good day everyone!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Will and Sallie Ziegler moved from the store building to this house, which is one street over from the store building.It is my understanding that Harry and his wife Lillie Mae bought the house and then sold it to Will and Sallie when Harry moved to New Mexico. Harry was Will and Sallie's son.Aunt Christian kept this house even after she could no longer climb the steps.

The house was sold. The North Chattanooga area has had a lot of growth over the last few years. Many people have bought these old homes and fixed them up. North Chattanooga is once again a nice neighborhood to live in.

This picture was made in Oct. 2007.

I remember as a child thinking that there were so many steps! Now it doesn't look like that many.I think who ever bought it has done a wonderful job.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Here is a Valentine Card from long ago. It was among the post cards I received from my Great Aunt Christian. It has never been used. There are several unused cards, no duplicates. Aunt Christian was always one to save things. Maybe this was one left over after fixing cards for her class. I can believe that she saved this and others from her childhood. I always wondered if these were from her father's store.

The card has no date but was published by the Gibson Art Company, Cincinnati, Oh.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

The picture to the left is Will and Sallie Ziegler with their sons John and Hobart Ziegler. Will died Jan. 7, 1949 and Sallie died Mar. 2,1972. My grandfather was John Ziegler.Grandma was 98 years old when she died. I remember her very well. I remember thinking how neat it was to have a great grandmother still living. She wore her hair longand braided in a bun in the back. Her daughter Christian never married. Christian lived with her mother and took care of her.In addition to running a store Will was a carpenter. Once when Grandma and Christian came to my grandparents house in the summer Grandma was confused by the A.C. She didn't understand all of the modern things. She said,"If Will was alive he would close up all the cracks in the house. It's cold in here."

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

I'll do more on the letters from Jacob and Annabelle another day. I hope to make this a regular on the blog, at least as long as I have pictures of homes. Today's picture is still with the Ziegler family. My Great Grandparents Will and Sallie Ziegler moved to Chattanooga from Athens, Tn.

Will ran a store in North Chattanooga (Hill City). Hill City was a fitting name there are very few level yards in North Chattanooga.

The store building is still standing and has been made into apartments. These pictures were made in Oct. 2007. I remember seeing a picture of my Great Grandma in front of the store but have been unable to find it in my mom's pictures. As you can tell the building is very large. The store was in one part and they lived in the other. My mom said she remembered them living in the store building. I don't remember ever going inside the building even though it stayed in the family until the early 1990's.

Monday, February 2, 2009

In 1960 a young man visiting his grandparents, who lived in Jacob and Annabelle's house found a treasure! In the attic he found letters written during the Civil War by Jacob and Annabelle Ziegler. He kept the letters. This young man grew up to be a professor of mathematics and computer science. Back in the early 1990's he let, a friend, a professor of history borrow the letters. The history professor and his students studied and transcribed the letters. The history professor even came to Tennessee and met with Christian Ziegler and other relatives. He was kind enough to give them a copy of the transcribed letters. I have a copy of the letters, this is neat to be able to read what Jacob and Annabelle wrote during this difficult time in their lives.There are 103 pages of transcribed letters.In one letter to his father Jacob said reguarding the vote for seperation "I for one will die first. I will on the 8th vote against it, if it is the last vote I ever give." He joined the Union Army even though his father supported the Confederate States. Jacob became a lieutenant in the Union Army.

I have enjoyed the postcards from Granny's Genealogy and it got me to thinking about the post cards I received from my Great Aunt Christian Ziegler (my grandfather's sister). I scanned one that I am posting today. This one is from my Great Grandmother Ziegler (Sallie Ziegler) to her mother-in-law Annabelle Ziegler.

Dated 12-20-16

Dear Grandma,

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Sallie

I find this an interesting postcard in that Jacob was still living and Sallie's husband Will was living but this was a Christmas greeting from Sallie to her mother-in-law. You wonder did they have a close relationship?

Facebook Badge

Followers

About Me

Welcome

Welcome to Genealogy Fun! On the side bar you will find the Surnames I’m researching. Most of the families I’m researching were from TENNESSEE, ALABAMA, and GEORGIA and a few Texas, Florida, Oregon, and Virginia. I can’t remember an exact time when I became interested in family history; it just always seemed to be there. Listening to family stories told by parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles was always fun for me. My wish is that I could remember them all now. Genealogy isn’t boring in fact it is very exciting and my hope is to show others how exciting with my blog. Finding out where your ancestors lived, things they did and when possible what they looked like is a truly exciting hobby. I want to record stories, information and pictures that I’ve been able to collect. Connecting with other people researching the same families would be great. I feel that I’m such a beginner but I’m willing to share any information I have.

SURNAMES - Harriet's

Burk

Edgemon

Farrell

Gibboney

Kelley

Long

Newby

Wilson

Ziegler

SURNAMES - Paul's

Brumley

Cook or Cooke

Everett

Girton

Green

Howard

Kibble

Lindsey

Ransom

States

Most of my ancestors which I'm researching lived in Tennessee,Georgia,and Alabama.